Metallic letters



NOV. 3, 1931. LE 1,830,112

METALLIC LETTERS Filed Aug. 14, 1929 l I I a m,

3 I u m 7 1 Z /8 INVENTOR 25 RUDOLPH T ER.

I a 26 5/ 27 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 3, 1931 IT S AT TE TOFFICEf mnor-2n: 'r. KELLER, or rnusnme', NEW Yonxl nnrnnnrc mamas Applicationfiled August 14, 1929. Serial No. 385,720.

The invention relates to the art of forming letters and numerals forsigns; the letters being attractive in character and durable inconstruction may be made as artistic as those now cut and formed ofsheet metal, while comparatively cheaper in cost;

More particularly the invention relates to an improvement in letters perse, whereby not only letters and numerals of one style'but of many,whether they are molded, die cast or pressed, then applied to any'givenback or base board.

The prime object of my invention is to provide any letter of thealphabet or numeral of suitable metal, such as aluminum, brass, bronzeorother such material that is light and easilyworked. Each letter andnumeral may be provided with suitable fastening, cast integraltherewith, whereby- ,theymay be aflixed to the sign board with the leastpossible trouble. These letters and numerals form a very simple,efl'ective,'as well as durable sign of any given size.

My invention will be 1 better 'understood from the following descriptiontakenin con-. nection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is shownthe preferred form. e drawings illustrate merely some examples of meansfor putting my invention into practice, and its scope will be pointedout'in the appended claim. v

Further objects and advantages will become apparent as the'descriptionof the invention is hereinafter developed.

cast letter ready to be applied to a' sign; Fig; 2 is an enlargedsectiontaken "on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a modification of aletter; Fig. 4 is another modifiedform of a character; Fig. 5;shows howa lamp may be applied within the walls of the same Fig. 6 is stillanother modified form, and Fig. 7

is a sectional view of a pressed metal'let'ter.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is 'a face viewof a sired;vthe preferred form ofthe character is of thetrough type shown, wherein thewalls 12, 13, 14and 15a're all beveled. The apices 16 of the Walls may have a small fiatface as shown, while the base of the walls ofthe cast letters have asuitable number of bolts 17 placed therein whilethemalterialis plasticand preferably threaded to receive a nut 18 for securing it to the. signboard 11, or to be embedded in a wall. The principal reason for havingthe walls more or less tapered is that the pattern may be removed withless liabil' ity than with straight walls. Again, the various charactersmay be molded, die cast or pressed, as shown in'Fig. 7. 1

It will be readily seen how simple it will be to apply any given number.of characters to a sign board,andhow easily and securely they maybeattached. The trough type letter or figure is the desiredstyle ofletter, as it lends its'elfto such a varied number of combinationsforwornamentalor lighting effects. First, with the letters andnumeralsthus cast, they form indestructible characters; second, the space 19 atthe bottom between the walls permitsof the usual bulb socket for signlamps being applied in the characters without interfering in any mannerwith the characters themselves; thirdly, the style of the characterlends themselves to the neon tube method of illuminated signs, shouldthe same be desired; fourth, the characters beingcast or pressed metal,maybe used and reused any number of times. While lastly, any part of asign made with these detachable characters may be ,altered, changed orvaried in any of the several ways without destroying the sigmas would bethe case with the sheet metal signs asmade today.

Thus it will be seen with my improved characters they may be usedwith'orwithout' illumination at a very substantial reduction in the cost andprovide a sign that is very attfractive and not readily given toblurring out meme. Y p Referring now to Figs; 3' and 4, it will be seenthatthe characters 10 or numerals may be cast, molded or pressed, eitherin the plain,

fancy "or ornamental styles, or they may have i that rounded effect thatis so often preferredi Each of the various styles will have suitablemeans for affixing them to the base.

As shown in Fig. 5, the characters forming the sign are placed indesired relationship; then if it is desired to illuminate the same, allthat is necessary is to bore the desired number of holes 20 toaccommodate the bulb sockets 21 for attaching the bulbs 22 thereto, asshown. The wiring is hidden behind the sign board 11. The socket norwiring interfering in any manner with the characters, but does cooperatewith them to make an attractive sign.

In Fig. 6 another modified form of character is used. This troughcharacter 10 has a web 23 connecting the inner walls 24 of thecharacter, so that it becomes a semi solid character and makes a veryattractive appearance when placed on a sign, and adapts the same for theneon light or for attractive painting in the channel.

The style of character herein shown makes a very desirable displaycharacter when used alone, and when used with the tube or neon light isfurther attractive by reason ofthe base and side walls, which whenpainted on the inner parts stands out and attracts attention. In eithercase this style of letter will add to a sign displaying the same, as itmay be decorated to advantage. As before noted, all elements of anhighly artistic sign with only about one-half the expense that it costsnowwith the method now in use. Signs may be made up of one or morestyles of letters as may be desired.

It is very desirable to provide cast or pressed metallic letters forsigns, and for advertising purposes in general of such materialthat theywill be durable in all kinds of weather and to have the same easilyapplied, so that it becomes only a matter of designating the style andsize of the characters to be furnished. The numerals or other charactersforming the advertisement each character have their own means forattachment, which as has been cited, does not require eX- periencedlabor to apply the same. Any or dinary person could apply the variouscharacters in line, thus materially reducing the expenses of preparingsuch advertisement. Then, should it be desired to paint or decorate thesame, itwould not require that experienced'sign painter, as any ordinaryman may paint and otherwise decorate a sign according to giveninstructions from headquarters, as is now usually done.

As shown in Fig. 7, wherein the letter is made into its proper shape bybeing pressed from a single piece of any desired metal. Letters thusformed may be sent by parcel post in any direction, for applicationtoany size sign board, which may or may not be painted after, as may bedesired. Again, the pressed letter-mayhave desirable advantages undersome circumstances, and may be preferred to the cast letters.

I prefer to make the outer walls 25 straight, while the inner walls 26are inclined, the lower web 27 is preferably located a slight distanceabove the ends 2829 of the outer walls 25, as shown, so that when theletter is secured to the base board 11, that the outer faces will holdtightly to the base board and prevent rain or moisture from gettingthereunder. Of course it is understood that letters like-O, P, R, Q andA will be composed of two pieces in the cast letters; but in all otherrespects the letter will correspond to other letters in this class. Infact, it will not benoticed where the two pieces are 0011- nected so asto formsuch letters. But in the pressed sheet metal letters each will becomposed of a single piece as shown.

W'ith this style of pressed letter, it may or may not be provided withsockets for lamps used in these illuminated signs, or as has beenexplained in connection with Fi 6, the letter may be used with the neontube or any other form of illuminating means. As shown, this style ofletter is fastened to the base 11 by a washer 30 and a screw 31.

Characters of this class, be they letters or numerals, may be used forany purposes desired. Besides using them on sign boards for displaypurposes, they may be used i or placing the name of a person or thetitle of the company on the building, whether or not it be wood, cementor stone. By the use of the letters and numerals, as described herein, aVaried use may be made with them, at a cost of about one-third the costof the less durable style, as at present. Again, at present, as noted,the letters and other characters are each cut out of sheet metal fittedand soldered to a base by an experienced operator. No change can bemade, and the sign is scrapped at the end; no part of it can be used forother purposes.

Of course, it will be understood that in the pressed characters, asuitable anchor will be provided attached to the letter, whereby thesame may be placed on a suitable base.

WVith the letters and other characters made as above described, each ofwhich will be made in various sizes to meet the demands, it will bereadily seen how'easily and quickly an elaborate sign may be made up,and if the various characters are painted as noted, the same may be madevery artistic, all at a very much reduced cost as compared with suchsigns as are made up a-nd used for general advertising sign purposes. vlVhile I have herein described the form of my invention as at presentpreferredand which :I consider to represent the best em bodimentthereof,- yet I desireto have it understood that the various forms shownare only-illustrative and that the invention may be carried .out-zinother ways than that shown and described; for instance, the making ofsuch characters by casting or pressing the same up from sheet metal,with or without a trough therein, as may be desired, each style adaptedto be used separately or may be combined with others to form acceptablecombinations.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desiretosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A device of the character described comprising a metallic body includinga pair of spaced upwardly extending flange members, a base portiondisposed between and interconnecting the lowermost ends of said flangemembers, thereby forming an intermediatedepressed channel between saidflange members adapted to house a source of light, said base portionextending the whole width of said body, the outer walls of said flangemembers being downwardly and outwardly inclined, the inner walls of saidflange members being downwardly and inwardly inclined, and fasteningmeans incorporated in the lowermost thickened portions of said flangemembers while the latter are in a plastic state.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

RUDOLPH T. KELLER.

